Starting and lighting set for automobiles.



G. E. STEVENS.

STARTING AND LIGHTING SET FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLlcATIoN man I-AN.2. 1917` 1 ,246,674. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

I n Ventor: l George Ebevens,

unirsi) sra ATENE FFit'lli.

GEORGE E. STVENS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

STARTING AND morirme sier non AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed January v2, 1917. l

To all whom t mcyconcem:

A Be it known that l, GEORGE E. S'rnvnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new andy useful .Improvements in Starting and Lighting'Sets for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.`

The present invention relates to starting and lighting sets for automobiles, and particularly to those intended for Ford rnachines and in which the drive between the dynamo electric machine and the engine crank shaft` is through a pair'of directly meshing gear wheels. -With such equipments a gear wheel is fastened directly on.

the pinionv and gear wheel mesh properly.`

This may be due, among other things, to irregularities in the surfaces upon which the parts are mounted.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure in an equip ment of this characten and particularly .an improved' coupling orconnection between the pinion and the driving shaft which will allow them to be somewhat out of alinement with each other, and which'will permit the pinion to adjust itself so as to mesh correctly with the gear wheel.

For a consideratiton of whatl I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is di- /rected to the following specification, and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine with the dynamo electric machine of a starting'.

and lighting set mounted thereon, the engine being indicated in outline by dot and dash lines; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coupling between the pinion and the driving shaft, the middle portion of the shaft being broken away; Fig. 3 is a section of the 'coupling of Fig. 2 on a larger scale; Fig. et is a section taken on line 4 1, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a top view of a portion of the coupling,

- the end cap being shown in section.

Referring-to the drawing, 10 indicates an internal combustion engine which mav be- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 140,059.

the engine of an automobile, and 11 a dynamo electric machine suitably supported thereon by a bracket 12 which carries a stra p 13 surrounding its casing. These parts may be of any suitable structure so as to firmly support the dynamo electric machine. 1i indicates the armature shaft of the dynamo electric machina and 15 a driving shaft to which is connected the pinion 16. The pinion 16 meshes with a gear wheel 17 mounted on the end of the crank shaft of the engine. As is well understood, the dynamo electric machine may be-used as a motor to start the engine, after which the engine will drive it as a generator which may be utilized' to charge a storage battery, etc. Driving sha ftl is connected to the armature shaft 1i by a coupling comprising two fiexible plateslS and 19, for example leather plates, suitably fastened to each other. The plate 18 is fastened to the armature shaft 1i in a suitable manner as by a member 20 fastened to the center of .the plate and to the shaft end.' The plate 19 is connected to the shaft 15 by means forminga slidable connection, and comprising a projecting tube 21 formed integral with a member21a similar to member 2O but extending at right angles thereto. The member 21a is suitably fastened to plate 1,9. The tube 21 is provided with an angular opening ,into which the angular shaped end 22 of shaft l5 projects. This connection permits the shafts'14 and 15 to move axially lrelative to each other, and also angularly t0 a certain extent due to the iexibility of the plates 18 and 19.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in which the details of the connection between shaft.l 15 and the pinion 16 lare shown, 23 indicates a spherical ball or head in whichtle end of` shaft 15 terminates, and 2st a thread out on the sha'ft 15 at a point spaced from the ball 23. In the Aball 23 is an opening in which is fastened a pin 25 having its projecting ends provided with at least two Hat sides,=as indicated at 26. The pinionl 16 may be of any suitable type, but is preferably of the so termed noiseless type, and is .shown as comprising a body27 of some compressible material, as`

.spinnable textile fabric, held on a hut` 28 dotted lines in Fig'. 5.

on the outside to receive a cap 33. The sieeve 32 forms in substance a part oi' the hub QS. beine* integral with it as well as the shroud 30. rl`he inner end oi' the sleeve 32 is formed with a spherical seat 3l against which rests the ball On diame-trically opposite sides, the sleeve is provided with rectangular' slots 35 which receive the ends oi pin indicates a bracket which is suitably fastened to the engine trame, as indicated at 3T, 3S and 39, thug forming a three-point suspension. lt comprises a body portion l0 having` an opening 40, and a projee-tin@r sleeve #l1 which slips into the hub the 'end ot' the projecting portion 31 of the hub engaging a shoulder 2 on the body portion. The shat't 15 extends through the openingl0" in the 'body portion yi0 and the sleeve all.' The end of sleeve 41 engages the ball QS, such end beingsuitably curved to torni a con' lation of the spherical seat @n the body portion Alf) oi' bracket 36 is a spherical surface having' its center of curvature located at the center' of the ball 23, and engaging the spherical surface 3 is a curved washer Llei,- splined to the shaft 15, as indicated at all, to turn lherewith, and held in place by loch nuts ab screwed on the thread 2l, there being a suitable bearing washer et?, as a fiber or brass washer, between the surface l?) and the surface of the washer ila. As' is clear from Fig. 3, the shaft l5 is ot lesser diameter than the opening` l()a in body portion Ll0 and the opening through sleeve l-l, so that the shaft may take an angular position relative to the axis of the pinion 1G. 4S indicates an oil cup and an oil groove for conveying lubricant between the inner surface of the hub 2S and the outer surface of sleeve 41.

When the shaft 15 is rotated by the dynamo electric machine 11, it drives the pinion 16 througli the connection comprising pin Q5, the ends of which engage the two slots 35. The hub 28 of the pinion 16 rotates on the'sieeve a1 which forms a bearing for it. The washer all also turns witl "t lo. bearing on the spherical surface i3.

llvfnen the parts are assembled it will be seen that the pin cannot come out as the shoulders lorined at the base ot the flat sides L26 on the ends oit' the pin engage the inner surface ot the sleeve adjacent the slots l5. IThis is clearly indicated by the iis is clear from l the pinion 16 is held between the ball 2 and thc shoulder 42, the parts being retain-'sd in position by the lock nuts 4.1.6 which the washer el up against spherical i/Vhen the parts are clamped in peoiticn, the ends of the pin are spaced somewhat from the bottom of the slots `as indicated on the drawing, so as to permit the shaft 15 to Vtilt in thc plane common to the axis or the pin nd shaft 15.

By-the arrangement described, a universal connection is provided between the pinion 1G and the shaft 15. The shat. may move in y one plane on pin Q5 and in a plane at right -angles thereto by pin tilting in slots 35',

the ball moving on spherical seat iand the curved washer al on spherical surface L13. Such a movement does not disturb the bearing seat between the surface 43 and the washer 44, as this surface has the same center as the ball Q3 and spherical seat 34. This permits theshat't 15 to take a position at an angle to the axis oi' tne pinion and to thereby assume a different axisV of rotation from that oit the pinion. The pinion 16 can, therefore, within reasonable iimits, al-- ways assume` a position whe-re it meshes correctly with gear wheel 17. At the same time the connection isv a strong' one, having no parts whichare liable to work loose.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 havedescribed the princi ple ot operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which 'now consider to representv the best'embodiinent thereof; but l desire to have it .understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

vWhat 1 claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent ot the United States is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having` a gear wheel on its crank shaft, ot a dynamo electric machine' supported adjacent t-he engine, a shaft connected to the rotor oi the machine, a gear wheel which meshes with the irst named gear wheel, a stationary cylindrical bearing upon which the second `gear wheel rotates, said shaft extending loosely through said hearing.;- and having a bearing surface which engages therewith, and moans forming a universal connection between said shaft and the second named gear wheel.

2. rlhe combination with an internal combustion engine having a gear wheel on its crank shaft, ot a dynamo electric machine supported adjacent the engine, a shaft connected/to the rot-or of the machine by a flexible axially adjustable coupling, af gear fwheel which meshes with the tirst named gear wheel, and means forming a universal connection between the second named gear` wheel and said shaft.

3. rllhe combination with an internal 'conr bustion engine having a gear wheel on its crank shaft, of a dynamo electric machine supported adjacent the engine, a. shaft connected to the rotor ot the machine, a gear wheel which meshes with the first named gear wheel, and means forming a universal connection between the second named oear wheel and said shaft, said connection coinprising' a stationary sleeve upon which the second named gear wheel rotates, said shaft madera yextending through the sleeve and having a spherical surface on its end which engages a similar surface on the gea'r Wheel, and means including a pin fastened to the ond of the shaft and engaging slots in the gear Wheel for connectingthe shaft to the gear Wheel. l

4f. The combination With a shaft7 of a gear Wheel, and means forconnecting it to the shaft, comprising a stationary sleeve upon which the gear Wheelturns, said sleeve having a greater diameter than the shaft and surroundingthe same,v a member having a spherical surface fixed to the shaft, said surface engaging the end of the sleeve, and

a pin which passes through the shaft, said gear Wheel being provided With elongated slots with which the ends of thepin engage.4

5. The combination With a shaft, of a' gear wheel, and means for connecting it to the shaft, comprising a stationary sleeve upon which the gear Wheel turns, said sleeve having a greater diameter than the shaft and surrounding the same, a member having a spherical surface fixed to the shaft, one end of the hub of said gear Wheel and the end of said sleeve being provided with a spherical surface with which the spherical surface of said member engages, a shoulder on the sleeve with which the other end of the gear come: ot this patent may be obtained Per Wheel hub engages, means for holding the gear Wheel between the member on the endv of the shaft and said shoulder, and a pin which extends through the end ofthe shaft, said gear Wheel having elongated slots with which the ends of the pin engage.

6. The combination with a shaft, of a gear Wheel, and means for connecting it to the shaft, comprising a static-nary member having an axial bore through which the shaft extends, a bearing surface Which passes inside the gear Wheel, a shoulder on said member against Which one end of the gear Wheel rests, a head on the shaft having a spherical surface, the end of the gear Wheel being provided With a similar spherical surface form ing a seat for said head,` a pin which passes through the shaft, said gear Wheel being provided With slots with which the ends of the pin engage, and means for holding the gear Wheel between said .head and said shoulder comprising a part carried by the shaft and having a spherical surface which engages la similar surface on said member, said last named surfaces having a center of curvature coinciding with that of the spherical surface on said head.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day. of December 1916.

' GEORGE E. STEVENS.

me cents cach, by addremng the fcomasioner et ateats, Washington, D. G. 4 

